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Synonym Chooser

How is the word sober different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sober are earnest, grave, sedate, serious, solemn, and staid. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

When might earnest be a better fit than sober?

The synonyms earnest and sober are sometimes interchangeable, but earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

When can grave be used instead of sober?

The meanings of grave and sober largely overlap; however, grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

When could sedate be used to replace sober?

The words sedate and sober can be used in similar contexts, but sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

When would serious be a good substitute for sober?

In some situations, the words serious and sober are roughly equivalent. However, serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

Where would solemn be a reasonable alternative to sober?

While the synonyms solemn and sober are close in meaning, solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

In what contexts can staid take the place of sober?

Although the words staid and sober have much in common, staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sober Also fortunately, the sober Patty has stuck around to lead the search for the wayward CEO. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 May 2025 Four months sober, she’s drawn to a boyfriend who endangers her recovery. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 14 May 2025 That could change this year as even some of the strongest proponents of housing first are rethinking that rigid restriction, amid growing evidence that a large share of homeless people would prefer to live in a sober environment. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025 Those are just a few of the sober realities highlighted during the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week, which kicked off on Monday and continues through May 18th. Tanya Mohn, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for sober
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sober
Adjective
  • Lopez wore her honey blonde hair in an ultra-long, straight style.
    Rachel Flynn, People.com, 27 May 2025
  • Since August, he’s reached seven straight finals with five wins, including the U.S. Open and Australian Open.
    Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 26 May 2025
Adjective
  • Even with Bailey singing her lovestruck heart out, Rob Marshall's redo doesn't make the same refreshing splash as the 1989 animated classic but gets points for trying with a more logical narrative.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 May 2025
  • Therefore, the logical starting point might be to first to prop this thing at least back up to respectability.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Handheld digital images give way to more solemn documentary reveries, which give way to surveillance footage and TikTok-style social media interludes.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 May 2025
  • The scenes involving Alma and Erika, both of whom grow up in worlds dominated by a solemn patriarchy and plagued by hardship, feel like they were drawn from period horror movies.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Illinois Set in the quiet prairie lands south of Chicago, this cemetery is one of the largest in the Midwest.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 22 May 2025
  • Until this point, Gilgeous-Alexander has displayed a quiet form of leadership during his NBA career.
    Mark LaSota, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, narratives of Ayyappan usually describe him as a god raised as a human prince who becomes a warrior and finally an ascetic.
    Deepa Das Acevedo, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2019
  • This is especially clear in the contrast between Marcus Luria and his father, the ascetic sage Zalia Ziskind.
    Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2025
  • In the Colorado River Basin, April and May were very dry.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Under coach Manolo González, Espanyol has just placed a reasonable 14th in La Liga.
    Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • International agreements require the owners of the patents on standardized technologies to allow others to use them—to license them to any interested party on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.
    Zoltan Istvan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • Created by a Benedictine monk with a serious eye for detail, this whimsical stop features 125 tiny, handcrafted replicas of famous historic landmarks, like St. Peter’s Basilica and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, all located on the grounds of Alabama’s only Benedictine monastery, St. Bernard Abbey.
    Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
  • Seven restaurants were closed because of serious health violations: Chuys Restaurant, 4441 River Oaks Blvd., had a score of 27 and was closed because of unsafe temperatures in the restaurant’s cold storage units.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sober.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sober. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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